Tshiko no da Kuro Diamante
by Aerial Elephant
Summary: This is the same story only different: I'm going to UPLOAD NEW CHAPPS! yah! Link joins a circus against his will! r&r!
1. A Nightmare Come True

This is a refinished version of my story, Tshiko no da Kuro Diamante." I'm gonna chek over it and rewrite parts of it, and stuff. ie, I edited Yobi the fairy from the story, so Link is alone and that makes writing this story simpler. But, my editing at 1:00 in the morning means that i probably did a crappy job of it, so ill check over it sometime later. Okay, on with the show.  
  
Extremely Quick Translations: Tshiko no da Kuro Diamante: Circus of the Black Diamonds Robyn: "Circus of the Black Diamonds. No....Circus of Black. Circus of the black and cold. Green one! Depart already! I understand Circus of the Black Diamonds! What will they do? What are they? Ah, I understand. Depart already. Quickly!" Link: "I don't understand the Circus of the Black Diamonds. I don't know the Circus of the Black Diamonds."  
Chapter One: A Nightmare Come True  
  
The red road. The white sky. The still, pale grass. The tall, red brick wall. There was something wrong.  
  
The pad of boots sounded, though it was outside; the sky and distances and beyond echoed with the sound of footsteps. The road under the boots rippled angrily with each step they took. Two fists shook with anger, apprehension, and fear as they swung from side to side. Sweat dripped from the roots of golden hair, to the red road, rippling with anger at their contact. Blood slid from the corner of a thin mouth, to fall from the chin to the red road, which accepted their connection. Two eyes peered straight ahead. Link's eyes. Link. A piercing scream. A booming laugh. It wouldn't end. Link looked up at the brick wall. A black demon shadow, standing above the tall brick barrier twice as high, held a writhing little girl in his dark hand. A little girl, who looked to be no more than four or five and with dark brown hair, screamed horribly at the top of her lungs. She was held by her neck, high above the bricks and the demon itself. The demon laughed and looked from the little girl to Link. "Kill, think, don't want me to, her, Link. What, show me, power, your own, what power on so small of you like someone."  
  
The demon laughed endlessly. The little girl screamed. Link, although not understanding any of this talk, had a concept ringing throughout his mind, and acted upon it. He pulled out his sword wordlessly. The demon stopped laughing and stared, wordlessly, as well. The little girl had stopped screaming and squirming. She simply hung in the black hand, staring at Link. And then she simply pushed the monster's fingers aside, and floated down to where he stood.  
  
"Tshiko no da Diamante," she said. Link was surprised. The little girl knew another language. "Iie...Tshiko no da Kuro Diamante," she continued slowly, cruelly. "Tshiko, kuro de samui." She laughed loudly. "Ichi Midori! Shuppatsu shimasu mo! Tshiko no da Kuro Diamante yoku wakarimasu! Doshite, do suru? Nan desu ka?! A, wakarimashita. Kudasai, ikimasu. Shuppatsu shimasu! Hayaku!!!"  
  
In his confusion, Link could hardly find his voice. But finding it just made things even more difficult. "Wakarimasu iie Tshiko no da Kuro Diamante," he responded. "Shirimasen Tshiko no da Kuro Diamante," The little girl started laughing again. Then what she said next sent shivers up his spine.  
  
"You will now."  
  
And then Link remembered what Tshiko no da Kuro Diamante was. And then Zelda appeared. The surrounding grey world turned to white smoke when she appeared. Link gasped. A tear coursed down her cheek. "How could you betray me, Link?" She asked. "How could you let me down seven years ago?"  
  
"How could you do that, Link?" asked the little girl. After she asked him the question, she collapsed onto the ground. She stared at him, and then died, her eyes going blank, her mouth falling lifelessly open, her body still. Zelda still stared at him, her eyes unblinking, shining with tears. She gestured to the small body within the hand, not looking at where it had fallen.  
  
"That young girl was named Robyn. She was about six years of age, and lived in Kakariko Village. She was loved by her parents and her sisters, her relatives and friends and neighbors," She paused. "And you killed her, Link. Yes, you. That was your doing, Link. You killed her, another Hylian, just like you killed so many people, so many Hylians. But does that matter to you? I am afraid that, for once, I cannot tell if it does. I don't know if you care any more, Link, and the pain of that very thought grieves me. "You are the legendary Hero of Time, or at least you were. But that day, seven years ago, you disappeared behind the folds of a dark cloth tower. You were forgotten there by most. But I never forgot you. I never lost hope that you would return. But still you remained there, becoming one of...one of them," Zelda emphasized the word. "Now you kill your fellow Hylians just to protect them, to feed them, to allow them to grow and gain power. You kill the people of Hyrule to let the Tskikans thrive, when you once protected the land you were born in, the land you once loved, the land of Hyrule! Not the people of evil, the people of the black mystiques, those damn circus monsters!" She almost screamed at him. But then her voice was quiet, woeful. "And then...you forgot me."  
  
"Zelda!" Link wailed. He didn't know if he could bear any more of these truths. "Zelda, I didn't- I couldn't- if I had- please, let me explain!" But Zelda looked at him miserably, and then looked away.  
  
"I can't be with you anymore, Link." she responded quietly. She started to back away from him.  
  
"Zelda, no! Please! Wait!" Link grabbed for Zelda, but got only an unreliable grip. Zelda started to walk backward, at a fast pace, but her eyes never wavered away from his own. Link tried to keep up with her, his grip slipping and sliding. "Zelda, please!" And then Link finally lost his grip. He collapsed to the ground, the murky, liquid ground, and lay there. His eyes grew dark, and he felt thick tears run down his cheeks. Zelda had stopped walking. She looked upon Link with a feeling of sadness flickering upon her face. Link pushed himself half off of the ground and looked up at her. "Give me a second chance, Zelda..." "Link," she said quietly, "I did give you a second chance. But I know that in your heart you feel a need to join them again." "I won't though," Link said, quietly, smiling. "I won't join."  
  
"Link, why must you lie to me? You lied to me when you said you wouldn't join, seven years ago. And I know you will again. You won't be able to help yourself. Too much of your heart has blackened with Tshikan evil; the flames rise too high, roar too loudly, burn too hot." She knelt by him, and picked up his hand. Carefully, she took his finger and rubbed it slowly across his cheek. Then she showed it to him. He gasped. The finger was covered in a liquid red. "Blood tears, Link. Bloodshed. This is from your own poisoned heart, Link. Unless you free your heart of Tshiko no da Kuro Diamante, you will bleed to death. Blood represents evil, pain is torturous, but passions of evil kill." And then she was gone. Link stood up and looked around, but there was no one. At least, no one alive. Except him. For now, at least.  
  
More blood poured from Link's eyes. He wiped at them with his fingers, and his fingers were drenched. His heart started to pump faster, his pulse quickened. More blood leaked from his worried eyes, gushed through his pupils in a never ending torrent. He wiped them with his arms. His shirt and gauntlets were soaked. He started to scrape at his eyes and cheeks and face obsessively as though he were being attacked by fire ants, crawling all over his face. But in spite of his frantic worry, his poisoned heart pumped faster and faster and faster, and blood was now flooded from his eyes. It flowed off of his face, all over his body, so he was soaked from head to toe in his own blood. He screamed, and felt faint. Someone giggled. Link looked up. Robyn was more than alive now, standing and watching him with amusement upon her face.  
  
"Goddesses, but you're stupid," she said happily, watching him suffer in his own blood and horror. Link choked. Blood was flowing down his throat and into his lungs. "Robyn..." he managed to mumble before collapsing back to the ground backward. Instead of seeming worried, Robyn seemed just the opposite. She trotted over, sat on his chest, and stared happily into his face. Link looked at her wearily. "Robyn...please...go get your mother...someone....anyone...." But Robyn only giggled. She blew on her fingers, one by one, and then stroked his hair. "Robyn, please....go get.....someone.....help....me..." Link begged the little girl, but then was silenced. He breathed uneasily for a second, and then closed his eyes. Blood swirled with the pearly liquid of the ground underneath him. His breathing stopped. Robyn laughed.  
  
The sound of her giggles was what echoed throughout Link's mind when he woke again. But he was engulfed in lush grass, which was almost a perfect blanket, laying under an oak tree with particularly big branches and leaves, a perfect, thick barrier from anything in the sky. The sky was dark, and a steady rain was falling. Link quickly rubbed at his cheeks, but they were dry. He looked down on himself, but the only tears represented were the few raindrops that had made their way past the leaves of the tree. He sighed, and then sat up against the tree, listening the rain fall. The dark green grass and the smell of rainwater was refreshing.  
  
"Goddesses...."  
  
After muttering this word, Link stood and started out into the rain, toward's Hyrule Castle.  
  
Link stood at the gate to Hyrule Town Market. Mopping his wet hair above his face, he peered in at what was usually a maze of bustling, busy streets. But as the dark grey clouds drifted slowly with their weight, and as black, shining droplets plummeted to the ground, there was not a soul to be seen within any part of the street. No shopkeepers. No children. No passers by. Even the dogs were gone, to go and hide under empty stands and stalls to hide from the softly whispering, softly cursing rain. But there was usually someone out in the streets at all times, even in rain and snow! At least one person...but not one. How odd. Link nevertheless walked into the town, towards the square. After about then minutes, he was there, taking in the pictures. Dark, cold, empty. It was silent. Except for the whispers of the rain. The whispers of the rain. Whisper...whisper.....whisper........ Funny how the rain.....the rain pulsed, almost. As if it were...... .....Alive? "Ah!" Something grabbed Link! He whipped out the Master Sword and swung it at whatever was on him- but the sword just swung right through, as though there was nothing. Link held up the blade to see that there was no blood or entrails- it sparkled as the sword looked when it was clean. But there was something there- he knew that something was still there! He looked down to see what held him in it's grip- but there was nothing! Nothing at all- not even an invisible or clear-skinned creature! But he was trapped- he couldn't move, couldn't escape. But as quickly as that hit him, so did the creature release him. He fell to the muddy ground. Pulling himself to his feet, twisting strands of hair from his face, he turned to look at his wretched opponent. But there was nothing there- no ghomas, no wallwalkers, no redeads, no nothing. Link fumbled to bring out his eye of truth, but there was still nothing that the lens could show. There was nothing- nothing hiding, nothing lurking, nothing growling. Just the darkened houses, the wet stones of the road, the empty stalls, the sky above. Yet Link could feel something there. He had felt a sensation like this before, it seemed so familiar, but- when? The thing- whatever it was- was there, he knew. It was evil and had an evil feel radiating from it. Yet a small speck of the light's power was there, within it, though deeply covered and almost hidden. Yet Link felt it- a sensation of light, Hylian light. He knew that it was there, deeply hidden in this evil, and it was farther inside this- this nothing that was there. The sensation reached forward and swirled around Link, enveloping him in trust. He felt lightheaded, but he did not move to stop the evil. His eyes closed. Someone called his name, but he did not answer. He dropped the Master Sword. It clattered to the grey stones, still mighty in itself but abandoned. Link fell. The thing caught him, resting him on its billowing dark skirts. Black surrounded him. It murmured in his ears. Strange languages of those who had been misplaced in a forbidden world...... And then someone spoke to him, someone who was so familiar, yet so new. "You'll find me again, won't you?" "I'll get you..." "We still need you, hero." "We'll swallow you again, you can't run." "You can't run this time, you traitor." "But you'll come back, right? We're friends." "You promised you would." "Right?" Link tried to open his eyes, but it was a near impossible task. He let them sink back down over his eyes and dropped his head once more. The black surrounded him again. The something washed over him. He could feel it leaving him, soaring, whispering- he knew it was of a Hylian tongue, but he couldn't decipher just what it was saying. He felt a sharp pain in the back of his head, followed by a liquid. Something cold was behind him. The crystal arrows fell through his head and crashed into his mind. The ground grew softer. He was falling, sinking. He couldn't move, had no control. Was this dying? No, it couldn't be. The whisperings of the thing became more audible, more under- standable. There was now a warmth- somewhere, in this dark labyrinth of black. It was all still now. The crystal arrows fled from him- or what was there, at least. He felt his mind come from hiding within him. He started to clear his head. And then he could see light. He opened his eyes. It was easy to do. But what he saw was blurry, agitated. Something moved. He pushed himself up from the ground's bricks and looked around. All was like it was when he arrived: cold, desolate, blank. His mind began to race. What- Where?- The creature!- But- What happened now? Where was it? Where was- But suddenly his train of thought crashed from the track. He was attacked with a splitting migraine that spread like a hatchet lodged into his skull. He grabbed his head and gritted his teeth.  
He lay there for a while, letting cold rain clear his thoughts and of his pain, and thinking. And thinking brought about the rememberance of a long story that he so desperately wanted to be rid of.  
"It all started after I came back from Termina, when I was about thirteen. Zelda and I were just running in the field, Hyrule Field....." 


	2. The Show Commences

"C'mon Zelda! Hurry up!"  
  
"Hold your horses, Link. I'm coming!"  
  
Thirteen-year-old Link ran up a hill in Hyrule Field, panting slightly from running but smiling nonetheless. He looked down to see Zelda sprinting up to join him. As Zelda's nanny, Impa, had to take her role as the Sage of Shadows, the castle had been extra wary of its princess and her safety, and it was amazing that she was actually out at all. "It's about time! I got bored!"  
  
"It's not proper to run," Zelda mocked the rules of the royal court. "As Her Royal Highness, the Princess, I must uphold every law."  
  
"Today you're not the princess! Today you're my guest!"  
  
"Only because you made me run away from the castle for a day! Wearing this, I might add." Zelda looked down at the plain dress that she had worn when she stole from the castle.  
  
"Only because you suggested it! You chose to wear that on your own." Link grabbed Zelda's hand. "We gotta go! Otherwise we're going to miss it!"  
"Where are we going? Miss what???"  
  
"You'll see." Link and Zelda continued to climb the great hill. Finally, puffing with their effort, they reached the peak and looked downward. "See, that's what we're going to!" Link said, indicating the last preparations of a great show below. A circus, to be exact.  
  
"Oh COOL!" Zelda exclaimed, and Link laughed at her excitement. And what a circus! People scurried everywhere, most of them as spectators trying to buy good seats, but a lot of them were in costumes. The costumes themselves were something else. They sparkled and shone, and everyone had antennae and little red fuzzies at the tips of their ears. Each costume was individual, and each one fit the character so well, it was almost like their skin. Creatures of all types ran from tent to tent trying to prepare themselves for the event. A crown of onlookers watched as a girl with antennae and purple hair juggled while she sang. A smaller version of herself danced around her in circles, singing and clapping to keep the beat of the song. Suddenly, a gong rang out. It was time to start the show. Both children raced down the hill toward the crowds and the colorful tents. Laughing happily, they bought their tickets and, like water poured into a vase, the spectators filed into the tent.  
Link took his seat in the dark row. Waiting patiently, Link suddenly heard a whimper. looked over to see his friend holding her hand to her forehead, a pained look on her face. "Zelda, what's wrong?"  
  
"I don't know....my head... I suddenly have a terrible headache," Zelda mumbled. "I....I don't know why."  
  
"Really?" Link was concerned. "Do you want to leave?"  
  
"Link-" Zelda saw Link's look of worry spread across his face like wildfire. "No way. Honestly, I'm fine. It-It's even going away as we speak!" Zelda drew her hand away from her head. Her hand looked reluctant. She looked back at Link, and to her dismay, saw that his look of concern hadn't changed.  
  
"You really want to stay-"  
  
"Yes," Zelda said firmly. Then, a little bit softer, "Yes, I'm sure."  
  
"Alright, but remember, if you feel any pai-"  
  
"Yes, Link."  
  
Link drew his face away from Zelda's and faced the stage, but he couldn't help glancing at her once or twice to see if she was telling the truth or not. Zelda, knowing that Link was secretly watching her, tried hard to imitate a look of deep enthusiasm, excitement, and anticipation.  
  
Suddenly, the millions of candles scattered around the tent dimmed to a low ball of light, and somewhere a lonely violin played a nostalgic tune. A blue light shone, lonely, down upon the stage. A violin was seen to float onto the stage, in midair, and seemed to dance as it played. Slowly, as though deep blue ribbons were sweeping through the air and wrapping around the air around the violin, a figure appeared, entirely in blue and with antennae (but not a zora), was seen to have been playing the flying violin. It did a lonely, graceful dance around the stage, and then went to the side and sat down, still playing the mysterious melody. Suddenly, a little girl walked onto the stage. She had white locks tied into long braids that swept behind her like a levitating train, and what seemed like a very sheer nightdress with a white body leotard underneath. She had antennae, and eyes so clear you could swear that she saw right through you, and a voice that was so lovely, so graceful and flowing and deep, so rich and creamy, so sweet and strong, it seemed almost comical that she had a voice like that, and one would think that someone was singing her tune backstage, while she mouthed the beautiful lyrics. She went to the side and sat down next to the violin player, and continued on with her tune. All the lights flicked on above the stage, all of them a deep blue tint. A band of figures, just like the violin player, walked onto the stage. They carried what looked like a silk purple bundle. They laid the bundle onto the ground, and then ran backstage, save one. The figure slowly reached forward, grabbed the edge of the silk from behind, and then.........pulled it away with a flash and ran!  
  
All of the lights flashed aquamarine now as what was under the silk was revealed. It was a person, a girl with antennae and orange-blonde hair that had three spikes of hair protruding from the sides backward, as though glued to her head and the sticking out in back where there was no head to be glued to. The rest of the hair was long and fell against the back or the floor or wherever gravity intended it to. She wore a purple leotard with sparkles that shone in the white-green light, and green eyes that seemed to luminate, almost radiated shine. Slowly she uncrumpled herself and looked around. Then she pulled herself up, balanced herself on her arms, and circled her legs vertically to the ceiling. She fell out of that position after a few seconds, pulled herself to her feet and started to do a dance around the stage. As she did so, the different members of the circus took turns doing an introduction dance on stage. The clown girls from outfront did a few flips over each other. A child in a long robe and large ears did rolls and a flip. A girl with a sparkling green and darker green leotard and diamonds in her hard did a short ballet number, with lots of leaps and twirls. Monkeys and Deku scrubs did a quick, very advanced game of leapfrog while an unnaturally tall Deku girl twirled around them. Link noticed that most of them had antennae and at least one diamond somewhere on their persons. In fact, they all did. Well, hence the name, Tshiko no da Kuro Diamante. After all of the members of the extraordinarily large circus made their introduction, the figures in blue came back with articles of clothing. Slowly, dancing to the spinning song, they slowly clothed the girl with green eyes; a pair of white pants, a very large red coat, boots and a hat, a large bowtie, and a gold topped, tied with a purple ribbon, cane.  
  
Suddenly, the figures dropped to the floor and sat, as though paralized. The violin stopped in its track, and the young singer's voice came to a dead halt. The green eyed girl walked to the center of the stage and looked up at the audience. All was silent. Then she raised her arms and smiled the biggest, grandest smile of all of the circus artists. "Hello to you all, big and small, young and old, ladies and gentlemen! I am Enne, your ringmastress, and all of us performing under this tent today wish to welcome you to this year's edition of Tshiko no da Kuro Diamante!!!"  
  
The cheer that came from the great many stands could have been heard for miles. 


	3. A Snuffed Flame

It's been an hour, and still the show goes on, and as amazing as ever, thought Link. Aren't they tired yet? The circus performers were still on their feet, doing great feats with zest. The little girl still sang, and the violins, along with other instruments which they took turns playing, still kept their beat and song. Right now they were making a sort of handstand, upside-down human triangle. There was one person on the bottom, balancing them all with her legs, which were in a splits. The next two balanced on her feet, then four and six and eight and so on. Link looked over at Zelda, and smiled. In her plain dress, short braids, and a daisy tucked behind her ear, she looked like a child from Kakariko Village or from Lon Lon Ranch. And yet, she seemed so happy- her blue eyes sparkling, her cheeks flushed, her hands pushing against her lap as she leaned forward in her seat toward the stage. Link turned back to the stage and gasped a little. There were now no less than fifty or so people balanced on the girl's legs. The girl seemed pained, and who could blame her. But she still smiled and kept a magic, mysterious sparkle in her eyes. How does she do it? Link thought to himself. Im glad I'm not in the circus.  
Meanwhile, backstage, the green-eyed showmastress Enne peered out from behind a curtain. The taller of the clown girls came up and poked her shoulder. "Enne, c'mon. You've seen this before, thousands and millions of times. We need you for our next act, remember that." She paused. "Enne, I'm not joking, you're going to put everyone off of the plan if-" "Tweet- do you see something?" The clown girl looked out. "No..." "Out in the audience? You don't see anything at all?" The girl squinted, then opened her eyes wide. "Oh yeah, I see something. A kind of magic out there, I can sorta sense it. But what does-" "You see that?" "What?" "That boy!" "There are a million boys. Exactly which boy are you pointing out to me?" "That boy next to the Princess!" "What?" ".......?" "He's next, Tweet!" Enne looked up at her, and then went farther backstage. The girl looked out at the audience. She didn't see a princess........  
Link and Zelda were still mesmerized by the feats of agility, strength, and grace that were conducted on the stage. A drummer, a figure with ribbons this time of bronze, beat upon a large silver drum. The blue- ribbons figure with the violin played as well. Together they did a slow, graceful dance in perfect syncopation. In the air, blue figures twirled while hanging from silver ropes. They circled above the musicians below on the stage, and occasionally one would drop down from the rope. They would dance just as beautifully around in circles before leaping back to their rope, which would fall from the sky to collect its rider and rise again. Lights of gold would augment the scene and it would all be so serene, so simple, and yet so complexly astounding, it was a gourmet taste for the eyes. It was- "Aieah!" Zelda buckled down in her seat, grasping at her head. Sweat droplets dotted her scarlet brow, and tears of pain caught in her eyelashes. Link head whirled around, shock painted clearly across his face, followed by horror. "Zelda? Zelda, what's wrong?" But before he could answer, she was lost in her pain. Pale, limp, and stricken, she slumped from her seat to the black floor. A droplet of blood coursed down from her mouth. "Someone help me!" Link screamed, holding Zelda's head and trying to elicit her. Heads from up and down the isles turned in confusion, and those sitting close by wore expressions of shock. The people on the stage turned their heads toward the scene, and wore not expressions of shock, but of transfixed phobia. Then a young girl with deep black hair screamed as a wave of golden light washed over her face. But it wasn't the lights.  
The tent was on fire! People outcried as smoke wafted throughout the tent and flames rose in the striped sky. Stumbling over one another, diving over and under the seats, they all rushed to the exits. But it was no easy task. Poles that supported the tent streamed and crashed like rods of fire. Cords and ropes fell and imprisoned people, who screamed bloody murder as struggled to become free and in which few of the people who flooded past would pause to help them. Link was still in the isle, while people rushed all about them. He was sitting on his knees, with Zelda's head in his lap.  
  
"Zelda! Wake up! PLEASE WAKE UP!" Link screamed. But the call was for naught, as the sound of the crying people overpowered the volume even in his own mind. Link coughed brutally on the smoke that slowly filled the tent. Zelda wouldn't awaken. Finally, Link pulled her up so that she flopped over his shoulder and, straggling, he ran out of the row of seats. They were near the very bottom, and the tent had three section layers, so they had a long way to run. Fire continued to crackle maliciously around them, and people hollered over the commotion as they tried to escape. Link bolted up the steps, desperately trying not to drop Zelda as he bounced off of every ledge and railing. He was overheated from the run up the hundreds of steps and from the growing heat. Sweat poured from his skin in buckets. He was exhausted, but he had to keep running. Burning poles fell around him, their thuds bouncing him into the air, but still he pressed on. Cords gathered around him, but he still tried to move on forward to the exit. But the cords that were draped around Link snagged on two fallen poles. Still running, Link could feel the tension of the cords grow. But he knew that he couldn't stop. He and Zelda would both be killed. But then the cords reached their point.  
  
"Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!!!" Link slipped on the step from the sudden pull and, like a giant slingshot, he was hurled across the entire tent all-the- way-to-the-stage-below. Zelda slipped from his grasp. She skidded on her stomach across the huge stage, then rolled violently a few times and then came to a halt. Injuries littered her body. Pale, bruised and bleeding, she lay there unconscious. Link however, had landed on his head and shoulders, and rolled a few times backward before stopping in an upright sitting position. A serious blow had been given to the back of his head, and all critical and logical thought trickled from his mind. He could hardly think straight. Feeling lightheaded and with a headache, he crawled over to where Zelda lay and sat down next to her. Link looked up. The world was doing somersaults. Blood trickled down from under his hair into his eyes, so that everything was stained red. Blinded by pain and exhaustion, he drooped onto his hands, supporting him, but they couldn't support him. He dropped down next to the princess. Weary, he was about to drop off into a ecstatically freeing and blissful sleep when a thought came to him.  
  
He had to save Zelda.  
  
He couldn't sleep now. Zelda was in peril! The tent had now become a deathtrap. In a few minutes there would be no escape. And Link knew that he was the only one who could save the Hyrulian Princess now. Summoning all of his strength, he drew himself to his feet and started to pull Zelda up as well. But in his exhaustion and lack of blood, he toppled backward with Zelda collapsing onto the floor next to him. Panting, but in no way defeated, Link pushed himself back onto his feet and grabbed Zelda's shoulders. Wiping blood and sweat from his face, Link gritted his teeth and pulled her to her feet. Wrapping his arms around her, he finally started to pull Zelda off of the stage. And then up the steps. One after the other after the other after the other after the other. It was an endless parade of black ledges. Sunlight had begun to filter into the tent- or was that the firelights? The smoke was an endless sea of black now- Link and Zelda choked continually. Steps, Fire, Smoke, Exhaustion, Blood- it was an endless torrent of pain and danger. But over the screams, a new set of voices was heard. They were deep, men's voices.  
  
"Scan the whole area, and let no seat or space go unsearched! We have to find the Princess Zelda!" This almost certaintly would have been a great star of hope for Link, but as he was so tired and woozy, he couldn't think of anything but the run, the pain- and how he had to save Zelda. Through the blood and the smoke, though, he saw people running down instead of up- he could see the outline of the exit now- and now the figures were seen to be wearing metal, and mail, and feathers, and the triforce...  
  
"Goddesses! It's the princess! A boy and the Princess Zelda!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"The princess!"  
  
"C'mon boy! Keep running, dammit!"  
  
Only a few more steps, Link thought. Another step...and another step......and one more....... And just when he thought he couldn't take another torturous step, Zelda was lifted out of his grasp. A strong pair of arms caught him by his chest and, holding him over a metal-covered shoulder, flew him up the rest of the stairs and out of the tent. Link closed his eyes and lay limp, not caring what happened to him. He could feel blood pour from his head to the ground as he was carried out. People all around were screaming, some were trying to calm the crowd. The atmosphere was clear now- Link choked on the fresh air as it came filtering into his lungs. Suddenly he was laid onto the ground, and someone was lifting his eyelids. Another person was smacking his face.  
  
"Com'n boy, wake up! Wake up, little boy!" Link moaned a little, and then opened his eyes. Small cheers were heard. Through his blurry vision, he could see that he was circled by a bunch of people, some of them as the men in metal, and some from the audience. "I can't believe you soldiers came in time to rescue this boy," said a female voice, awestruck.  
  
"Oh yes, absolutely! What would happen if he was stuck down there? He is a very lucky boy indeed!"  
  
"Well, save your compliments for him," said a proud but honest voice, whom was presumably a soldier. "He was the one who pulled the princess out of the tent! If it wasn't for him, who knows what would happen to Her Highness."  
  
"So the boy is a hero!"  
  
"A Hylian," Said a man. "Could tell by them ears of his. He would be a hero type wouldn't he be now?"  
  
But now a new voice sounded worried. "He has a major concussion. We can't let him drop off. If he goes to sleep, it's curtains."  
  
"LIIIINK!!!!"  
  
A familiar voice cried out. A small, light-haired person parted through the ring of people and knelt down next to him. "Princess! You cannot be over here! Do you not know how dangerous it is to be around a bleeding person?"  
Zelda didn't seem to care. Fingers brushed through Link's damp hair, followed by a gasp, a whimper and a teardrop onto his cheek. "Blood..." she whispered. She then bent down low and wrapped her arms around his neck. Into his ear, she said, "Link, whatever you do, you gotta promise me that you won't go to sleep. Don't sleep Link. Please Link...." But with her plea, Link could find no energy to keep his eyelids lifted. They slowly drooped shut, and his head lolled to the side. Everyone but Zelda disappeared. She stayed with him, crying, begging him not to, until even she slowly drifted away into the wind and darkness, and he was all alone...... 


	4. Confusion and Chloroform

...................  
  
"Uhh.......wha-?.....W-Where am I?" Link opened his eyes to a cold, dreary sky. The wind blew cold, pushing the trees against their will and flattening the grasses around Link. He sat up and rubbed his eyes and then, startled, he quickly shoved his fingers through his hair and brought them in front. There was no blood, dry flakes or otherwise. His headache was gone too, he realized, as well as the ache in his arms and legs. He could think clearly too.  
  
Link looked around. There was no one anymore. Not for miles. Link turned his head to where the tent was, only to see a crisp black pile of beams, frayed ropes, and pieces of striped tent. Link realized that someone or some people must have died in the inferno, and stood and bowed in respect. But then his head shot up. Zelda!!!! Was she still in there? Was she okay? Where was she? But then he remembered that she was with him while he was resting on the ground and fell asleep. She must have gone with the soldiers back to the castle, Link thought, I hope she doesn't get into trouble, he added with a pang of guilt. It would have been his fault.  
  
Trying not to think about Zelda being punished, he thought instead about what the soldier had said. 'He has a major concussion. We can't let him drop off. If he goes to sleep, it's curtains.' Had he really fallen asleep? Wouldn't that have resulted in him.....no that couldn't have happened, he was still here, as well as the tent. But what about everyone else? Link decided that he had probably fallen asleep, and survived miraculously, but everyone mistook him to be dead and left him. That thought didn't make Link feel very good, as they didn't take his body to be properly buried, but it was the only solution that made enough sense to pass. Link stared at the vast pile of the charred stage and tent. After a few moments, he decided to walk to Hyrule castle. He had to own up, he wasn't going to let Zelda take all the blame. And he wanted to make sure everyone knew he was still alive. And he didn't want to stay there and watch the wind blow away the dispossessed remains of the once titanic show. He started walking away toward the hill which he and Zelda had climbed over to get there. Walking, he felt as though the ground was moving under him, backwards. He stopped and looked down. The ground was still. He looked up and saw that the hill was still many yards away. Stunned, he turned around to see that the ruined circus tent was yet still five or so feet away. Now fully flabbergasted, he started to run toward the hill. It didn't come closer. Rather, the hill seemed to be going BACKWARD! Link stopped, and the hill followed suit. He started to run again, and the hill continued to move farther away, very fast. Link stopped. The hill stopped. Then Link started to walk backward, very fast. In watching the hill and the ground, he didn't see where he was walking, and tripped into the pile of charred tarp. Flakes rose and fell onto him, and the air smelled smoky. Link sneezed. He was covered from head to boot in black dust. Blinking, he looked up. The hill was right where it was before they started.  
  
Link began to feel unnerved. And who could blame him- heck, anyone who's lost a race to a hill is entitled to fright. He stood up from the ashes, brushed himself off, (he still had a few grey stains on him, but there was nothing that could be done about that) and turned the other direction. I must have landed on my head harder than I anticipated, thought Link. Looking back at the hill, Link decided that was it. He turned back to where he was walking and gave a small gasp. There was the tent, as though it had never burned down, perfectly set up and with flags blowing! Link whirled back to where the tent had been, to see that its ashes were still there. Positively confused at this point, Link looked back at the standing tent, and realized that it was a new tent, a green and yellow-striped one. But who set it up? Could it be-?! Was the show still on? Oh no! Link made a mad dash toward the tent. The ground seemed to move with him, and he flew on the ground toward the tent. Finally he came to a halt. Link put his ear against the rough fabric flaps and listened in. Strangely enough, no one was cheering, no music was playing, no one was singing. Also strange was how the ground was free of any circus litter- popcorn and wet drink stains and pieces of trash. Link pulled his ear away from the flap and looked up at the flags, then back to the flap. He was beginning to have a strange feeling about this circus. But he wanted to find out where everyone went, so he slowly reached for the edge of the flap, pulled open the cloth door, and willed his cold feet inside.  
  
The flap fell back, causing the whole tent to be dark. Link turned around, and tried to find the opening to the flap again- the last thing he wanted was to be in this place with no light- but to his puzzlement the flap couldn't be found! It was all just a solid wall of cloth. Desperately, he bent down and tried to lift if from the bottom, but he couldn't feel the end of the cloth. He even couldn't feel the ground. Link tapped his boot to the ground, but no sound was made, nothing was felt.  
  
His heart pulse quickened. He was trapped, this was a trick. It was so obvious that something was wrong. It all was so wrong. All he could hear was his breathing, fast, paced asymmetrically. The dark was there, so tranquil, so strong, so dark and full...It was everywhere, flooding the room of immeasurable volume, the air became heavy- It was flooding him! All around the dark was gaining, spreading uncontrollably, infesting the atmosphere- It flooded Link through his nose and mouth and, spreading its fingers throughout his throat, strangled him. It flowed through his skin into his mind and heart and lungs. It wouldn't stop! Link choked, ran forward and stumbled, and the dark jumped upon him. Slapping him, strangling him, and all the while weighing down onto his mind and lungs, it grabbed his heart and held firmly. Link screamed and fought for his heart, but its grip was too strong. Already his face started to mutate, and he felt it growing dark. On his head was locked a band, and the brim brushed his forehead. His clothes grew ragged, and his hands were growing cloth- he was growing into a skullkid! Fighting to get the dark off, and still trying to repair his heart, he could feel the finalizations grabbing for him- it was the end, dark was winning- but then a bright light shone. The dark whimpered and cursed in a whisper, and ran off. Link shielded his eyes from the light, turned his back to it, and ran a finger down his cheek. Blackness had nearly consumed it, but already it was trickling away. His clothes regained their stitches, and the gloves melted from his fingers. But something else lifted the wide-brimmed hat from his head. It brushed its melting fingers across his forehead as they lifted away. The light still shone upon him. Link turned and stared past the light, trying to make out what was making the light shine, but all he saw was darkness. Then suddenly the light spun, and it was gone. And something spoke.  
  
"You'll be alright. The darkness won't attack us now, we have light with us. Come on, follow me," A hand that felt moderately human- there were no claws, anyway- slid into Link's and squeezed softly. But despite the kindness in the sound of the voice, Link was in no way reassured. In a panic, he pulled himself up and yanked away from the hand. But the body that owned the hand was much stronger than Link had anticipated, and it clamped on tightly so that Link couldn't free his own. The hand yanked him up and held him against the body of the speaker. From what Link could determine, the body was small and human, the body young girl. She grabbed his arms and held them tightly against his chest crossed, so that he couldn't move. "I don't want to harm you in anyway," she said. "But if you continue to struggle, I won't have an option. You don't have an option either way, the gateway to the outer world is closed, and it's safe farther in where we all reside. So you might as well....give........up." she said more slowly.  
  
Link was still. "Who are you?"  
  
"No one of your concern.......yet."  
  
At this statement, Link, who was much stronger, jerked away out of the person's grab. He made an attempt to run, but the person caught him by his wrist, twisted his head around, and slapped him hard. Link flinched, and with this distraction the person kicked him down onto his chest and sat on his back so that he couldn't get up. Quickly she tied his arms behind him. Then she pulled out a small bottle and opened it. "I didn't want to have to do this," she said quietly. She turned Link over onto his back, knelt beside him, and pinched his nose. Link held his breath for as long as possible, but then when his lungs were about to burst he opened his mouth for a quick breath and when he did the person poured the entire bottle's contents down his throat. Link pushed himself up somehow (his hands were still tied) and ran for the exit. The person made no movement. He kept running, but his legs were growing numb. His whole body was growing numb. Stumbling, he came to a halt, gasping, his body slowly growing heavier and nonexistent.  
  
"Oh, goddesses," he mumbled, before collapsing. His whole body was numb.  
  
The girl now walked over to him. She knelt by him, pulled out a knife, and in a few saws cut him free of the bind on his wrists. "Chloroform." she told him. "Have you heard of its effects?"  
  
Link tried to respond, but his words came out in a soft babble. He couldn't feel his lips, or his tongue, or most of his face for that matter.  
  
"Really, you should have listened to me. I don't lie very often." she paused for a moment. "But I guess I should have told you what's going to happen to you from the start. Well, it's not like it matters now, you'll find out soon enough, once the chemical wears off." She flipped him over and, holding him by his knees and his back, picked his limp body up and carried him off into the opposite direction. Link moved his eyes, the only part of his body (besides his lungs that were functioning), into where he was going. He anticipated what was ahead, and for all that he wasn't half asleep, he was apprehensive for the worst. 


End file.
